This invention relates generally to multi-media systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods for assisting people performing karaoke by providing real-time feedback to the user during the playing of the karaoke music track.
Many people love to sing along with their portable music players, stereos, or favorite TV music programs. Karaoke takes the sing-along experience to another level by scrolling the words to the song, synchronized with the music, across the screen, highlighting each word at the exact time it is supposed to be sung to help the singer's timing and rhythm. Some karaoke systems also feature customized music videos for the songs.
A typical karaoke system includes a player for playing karaoke songs, a display, a microphone, and speakers. Karaoke songs are generally recorded on storage media such as optical discs to be played in karaoke players. Some karaoke media contain songs with music only so the karaoke singer is the only one supplying vocals. Other karaoke media contain songs with both music and original vocals, and the karaoke player suppresses the original vocals if a karaoke user is singing into the microphone, so that only the karaoke user's voice is heard through the speakers.
Current karaoke systems, however, do not address one of the biggest obstacles faced by amateur singers: singing on key/pitch. As a result, karaoke users seldom improve the quality of their singing.